March 31, 2012

Newly Found Motivation

After Ironman Arizona, I told myself that this season was going to be all about FUN!  I didn't want to do anything huge where I had to follow a strict training plan, and I wanted to take up trail running because it is something I've always wanted to do.  The problem lately though is that I just haven't been having very much fun.

For some reason, I decided to sign up for a 50k on June 1st.  The race is called the Golden Gate Dirty Thirty.  I saw the race, and thought, "This sounds like fun," so I signed up for it!  But, I don't know what I was thinking!  Take a look at the elevation profile..YIKES!:

While I am excited about doing the race, the problem is that I have REALLY been struggling with finding my motivation to get out there and run.  I don't have a problem with the short runs, but the long runs are KILLING me!  I find myself dreading the run, putting it off until the last minute, and sometimes even bailing out before I even put in the full distance.  For something like a 50k, this is NOT an option.

I am a firm believer that the mental aspect of training/racing is just as important as the physical.  When I start a run with negative thoughts, it is doomed from the start.  I KNOW this, yet I can't seem to shake it.  I'm NOT having fun with my running, and it is really bothering me.
Source
So, when I found out that Scott Jurek was giving a talk at REI about motivation and what it takes to do ultras I signed up as fast as I could!  For those of you who don't know who Scott Jurek is, he is one of the top ultrarunners in the country...he is AMAZING!  You can read all about him HERE.   

He didn't talk about training or nutrition, but he did talk about the one thing that I really needed: motivation.  His presentation really went into the mental aspect of what it takes to go long and it was awesome!  A lot of what he talked about could be applied to all sports as well as all aspects of life.  It was just what I needed to kick my butt into gear, stop making excuses, stop having all the NEGATIVE thoughts, and get out there and RUN!!!



 This is a picture of him in front of a slide of his new book coming out in June.  He said he wanted to write a book not only about aspects of training for ultras, but as a vegan, he wanted to incorporate the nutrition side of it too!  As a vegetarian/almost vegan, I am really excited for this book to come out!  You can be sure I will be one of the first to order it! :)






At the end of the presentation he sat down to sign posters for whoever wanted one.  I stood in line for about 10min. to get one of those!  :)  I have to admit I felt really small  next to him...look how tall he is! Ha ha!









Not only did I leave there with a bunch of awesome goodies, but I left there with a new sense of motivation...which is just what I needed!









Oh..and if you're wondering about the "chop wood" comment on the poster, he talked about it in his presentation.  There is a saying that goes, "If you're going to chop wood, chop wood."  Basically it means that no matter what you're doing, weather you're running long, training for a tri, or working on a huge presentation, you need to focus and put all your energy into what you're doing at that moment and don't let any other outside forces (negative thoughts, life stresses, etc..) get in your way.  LOVE IT!

12 comments:

Unknown said...

Sounds like a great talk! I love ultra running and wish I had more time to do it! It's hard to find races around here that don't interfere with tri season! One thing that really helped me with running long was taking out the expectation of pace or speed. When I am just out there running just to run, something magical happens and everything else melts away. Good luck with the training!

TriMOEngr said...

Looks like a fantastic presentation with a lot of inspiration. Now get out there and chop the wood! :)

Jill said...

So cool you got to go!! When I went to sign up, it was already full :(.

I heard that's a tough 50k ... I hope you have a lot better luck than my 50k a couple weeks ago. You will!!!

KellytheCulinarian said...

I've heard he's an incredible speaker. I love his blog and columns, they're always very insightful.

Julie said...

Aimee sounds like the timing for that talk was perfect! And that course...ummm yea... how could you think that looked fun? I have no doubt you will kill it.

Caratunk Girl said...

Sounds like that talk came at the right time for sure! I would love to hear what he has to say, that is really cool that you got to see him!

AND really, you freaking totally have got this 50k!

Unknown said...

Too Cool! That book looks really interesting. I am trying to eat more of a vegetarian/from the ground diet myself. It makes me feel alot better!
Good luck on that 50K! Im sure you will rock it! All the nervous energy will come right out of you at the start line, just like at IM Arizona!

Jon said...

OMG I really need that kind of motivation right now!

Jason said...

How freaking cool is that? Seriously that is awesome.....not just because of the motivation but because of the vegan thing as well.

That is perfect.

No go out and run....well not this very minute but soon enough.

Paulette said...

I love the chop wood quote! Good luck with the training and motivation. :)

RunToTheFinish said...

i got to run with him last year when they were doing a born to run tour and he is super nice!! I love it when you get to meet people who really just provide you with a renewed sense of i can do it and love it

Missy said...

LOve this.
I'm gonna go chop some wood....right now!!